Sometimes family just has to get along
by ElizaTheora X
Summary: Caroline must search for a way to save herself and her friends from Rayna and the heretics that have taken over her hometown. With her brother Kai as backup they find themselves in New Orleans, with Klaus around what could go wrong right?


**Set sometime in TVD season 7 and TO season 3 but the events are all of order and/or happening at the same time AU**

...

Caroline already knew she was going to regret this as she wandered down the streets of New Orleans French Quarter. Spotting a bar she ducked inside nervously looking around for a familiar face. Not noticing anyone she sat at the bar and ordered a shot from the bartender before engaging in conversation with him. It seems his name was Josh and as he was talking she realised that he was a vampire like her so she took her shot and decided to just go for it "So...Josh I know you're a vampire" at his panicked look she quickly carried on "Don't worry I'm a vampire too. But I was wondering if you happened to know where the Mikaelsons live?" He looked slightly calmer but shook his head nervously "Trust me you don't want to go visit the Mikaelsons, they'd probably kill you just for trespassing" "Nice to know nothing's changed then" she muttered under her breath. "Seriously Josh I'll be fine...I know them from my hometown...we're...old friends I guess" Josh smirked at that "I didn't know they had any friends. Come on my shifts ending anyway I'll walk you there." She smiled brightly at him "Thanks Josh!"

As they walked slowly through the streets he pointed out places to avoid, people to avoid and explained all the drama with the witches and Marcel. "Well this is it." They stopped in front of a large building in the centre of the street. Caroline laughed at the name "The Abbatoir? Seriously? They couldn't have thought of something more original than slaughterhouse?" Josh smirked at her "You know I never really thought of that before. Sorry to do this but I'm gonna go before Klaus rips my head off or something. Take care." As he was walking away she called to him "Hey Josh? If I'm still alive do you wanna get lunch tomorrow. We can share what I'm sure are equally traumatic vampire stories…" she asked slyly. "Sure. Meet at the bar?" He said smiling at her energy. "Great!" she squealed excitedly before he walked off into the distance and she braved herself to walk in.

"Klaus, Klaus? Hayley?" She yelled as she appeared in the courtyard. Hayley appeared at the top of the stairs standing next to a blond woman who looked at her distastefully "Who are you?" "Caroline Forbes, Mystic Falls" Hayley spoke for her as Caroline nodded in agreement. "What are you doing here Caroline?" Hayley asked confused. "Look Hayley I know that stuff happened back in Mystic Falls but I'm kind of hoping that we can let bygones be bygones and move on" Caroline asked almost pleadingly and Hayley smiled at her "I would like nothing more" and Caroline looked relieved. Then the other blond spoke up again, "Why are you here again?" She asked rather rudely. "Oh I'm looking for someone and I heard from a friend that he's in New Orleans so I figured that Klaus probably knows the ins and outs of the vampires in the Quarter cause of y'know ...the obsessive paranoia. Basically I'm here because I need his help" She rambled explaining the situation.

"Well he's out right now so how about you and I grab a drink and you can catch me up on all the crazy of Mystic Falls" Hayley asked smiling at her. "If you really wanna know then we're gonna need more than one drink" Caroline said laughing. Then other blond girl looked at them "I'm Camille by the way" so Caroline turned to her and forced a smile "Do you...want to join us?" She asked but Camille just shook her head "No I should probably be going." And she just walked out of the courtyard. Caroline just looked at Hayley like 'What was that all about?' But Hayley just said "Don't ask." So Caroline held her hands up in surrender and grabbed the nearest decanter of bourbon, "So...we drink?" Hayley fetched two glasses and smirked at her "Absolutely."

An hour later and they were both leaning on opposite ends of the couch and onto another bottle of bourbon Hayley was just exclaiming "No way! So the witch actually turned your skin to vervain!" Caroline just nodded "Yes way! And all because she was jealous! Here touch." As Hayley reached her hand out and immediately burnt herself on Caroline's skin "Damn! That must suck!" She said loudly gritting her teeth through the pain. "Oh you have no idea" Caroline said teasingly, then she turned serious, "That's actually part of why I'm here. The guy I'm looking for knows how to take the spell off of me." Hayley smirked at her "Well I will do what I can to help. Also that was really painful." "Sorry." Caroline smirked at her. And then in their tipsy states they both started laughing.

Neither of them noticed Klaus arrive back and stand frozen in the doorway shocked at the scene before him. Caroline was here and her and Hayley were...drunk? It was then that Elijah appeared behind him and spoke loudly as if announcing his presence "Niklaus it appears we have a guest." At his voice Klaus unfroze and Hayley and Caroline turned their heads towards the men in the doorway. "Uh...hey?" Caroline began quietly before looking to Hayley for help so she sighed and spoke to them "Caroline here is in need of our help." And she gestured for Caroline to continue "Oh yeah. I'm looking for someone and I heard from a friend that he's currently in New Orleans murdering witches." Hayley looked at her frowning "Hey you didn't tell me that he was the one murdering the witches" "Well it didn't come up" Caroline said nonchalantly. "And why exactly do you need to find this vampire?" Elijah inquired. "This witch Valerie turned my skin to vervain and I know that Kai knows how to fix it. Also...he's kind of my...brother" Hayley looked at her outraged now "You didn't tell me that either!" "Well it didn't come up" she replied again.

Finally Klaus spoke "I didn't know you had a brother?" Caroline shifted uncomfortably "It's a long story" Elijah looked at her curiously "And what exactly do you think your brother is doing in New Orleans?" Caroline turned to him "He's looking for something. An ascendant. It rightfully belongs to him but it's been lost for centuries now and actually I'm pretty sure that you have it" she said gesturing at them. "And why would we have this...ascendant?" Klaus said still staring at Caroline with disbelief. "I don't know but I remember that you had a painting of it back in Mystic Falls" She began looking back at him. Elijah interrupted their heated staring contest "Well I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this but Kai has been apprehended and is currently residing in the garden for his crimes." "The garden?" Caroline enquired. "It's like a vampire prison" Hayley chimed in. Suddenly Caroline looked very worried "Oh no. I hope there was no one you cared about in that prison with him because they're probably dead already" she said chuckling nervously. "That's impossible!" Elijah said adamantly.

Then a figure appeared behind them covered from head to toe in blood and smiling at them maniacally "I'm afraid my dear sister is, as ever, right. Sorry about your inmates but I don't do well in small spaces with others" he shouted out to them before walking directly over to Caroline. "Sister...long time. Did you miss me?" He smirked cheekily at her. She looked up at him and smiled at the expression on his face, "You know I wouldn't be here if I had any other choice. I'd never tell Damon but he is getting suspicious so if I were you I'd keep a lower profile" "Well it was your idea to fake my death. I still don't see why we couldn't have just murdered him." Kai said lazily. "Honestly I'm starting to agree with you" she sighed, "Anyway Kai I need a bit of your siphon magic for Valerie's ridiculous spell." "Sure thing sis" Kai said happily as he placed his hands on her shoulders and began to siphon the spell away.

"Ok what the hell are you?" Hayley shouted at him. "She's feisty I like it" Kai said smirking "Kai…" Caroline said warningly as she saw the murderous expression on Elijah's face. "Never fear sister. I promise to be appropriate" he said to her, then addressing the others he bowed mockingly as he said "Heretic at your service" Klaus looked confused, "I thought all the heretics were locked away in a prison world" "Oh no I'm a new one but I too was in a prison world. 1994. The year from hell" Kai shuddered. "Caroline's little friend Bonnie let me out" "unintentionally…" Caroline muttered under her breath. Hayley looked as if she didn't really want to ask but she was going to anyway, "And why exactly were you locked away?" Caroline looked at him and shook her head as if not to say anything but Kai ignored her "I tried to murder my entire family." He said happily at their shocked faces. "Apart from my favourite sister of course." He said wrapping his arm round Caroline's shoulders. "Not exactly without trying…" Caroline muttered under breath and Klaus suddenly seemed very concerned. Kai turned to her angrily "For the last time sister! I was not trying to kill you! You can survive a few knives in your stomach!" "You can survive a few knives in your stomach" Caroline replied in a whiny voice imitating Kai. At his murderous stance she backtracked "Jeez sorry for not seeing your side" she said sarcastically. Kai however seemed to take that as an apology, "Oh dear sister I got you a present" and he handed her a box. She opened it and looked shocked for a moment before throwing her arms around Kai and kissing his cheek softly "thank you" she whispered into his ear before he put her down and fastened something around her neck.

Hayley looked at the intertwined object now acting as a necklace, "Ok am I the only one that's gonna ask?" She started looking at the bewildered faces of Elijah and Klaus, "What in the hell is that?" Kai smiled at her expression of horror "You see when I tried to murder everyone I cut out her spleen so in order to try and gain forgiveness I cut out my own spleen and spelled them together so that she can draw on my power at any time" he explained gleefully. Hayley turned to Caroline "HE CUT OUT YOUR SPLEEN!" she shouted at her, Caroline just shrugged, "Apparently, I was like 5 so I don't really remember much, plus there was the whole our father wiping my memory and sending me away to start over so I'm a little hazy on the details but family is family I guess" Kai smiled at her "And now our father is dead so you're welcome" "I'm still mad you killed Jo y'know" Caroline said seriously to Kai "Eh she was always boring" Kai laughed it off. "She was also pregnant Kai!" She exploded angrily at him. "Ok so maybe I feel a bit bad about the twins. Wait what am I saying? No I don't. I'm a sociopath." Kai said sarcastically. "Psychopath" Caroline muttered pettily. Kai appeared to think for a moment "Nope. I prefer Sociopath, it makes me sound smarter. Saying I'm a psychopath just makes me sound like some rando maniac or a crazed serial killer" "You are way past serial killer Angel" Caroline retorted. "So are you. And don't call me angel. That joke died like a thousand suicides ago." Kai said still smiling happily as though oblivious to the incredulous looks of the others in the courtyard. Caroline just rolled her eyes dramatically and huffed standing next to him. "Oh you gonna roll your eyes at me sis? Well I'm gonna roll my eyes right back at you!" Kai said bickeringly. "Dude seriously you can't even roll your eyes! Never could!" Caroline shouted back at him. "I practised for like a year!" Kai responded, "In between finding new and wonderful ways to meet my death." "God Seriously?! Can't we just be over that already?! We get it! Prison worlds suck!" Caroline exclaimed. "Prison worlds are pure hell sis and you promised to get me out! You just left me there!" Kai shouted at her. "I didn't even remember you existed!" She screamed at him exasperated. "You know what?!" Kai screamed as she just looked at him questioningly, "What?!" Suddenly he smirked and said the strangest phrase, "търсещите убежище са пазители" (Seekers are Keepers). At that they both flashed away as if it was a game of sorts leaving the confused trio frozen in their wake.

Hayley moved closer to Elijah and Klaus, "Is it just me or are they like really similar?" Elijah and Klaus just looked at her confused, "I mean if Caroline was a psychopath don't ya think she'd be just like him…" Hayley trailed off. Then all their ears perked up as they heard Caroline's voice "Haha I win!" Followed by Kai groaning dramatically and then a loud shout of pain. Caroline skipped back into the courtyard smiling ecstatically with Kai trailing behind her with a knife in his side. "Miss Forbes what exactly did you do?" Elijah inquired. Caroline put her best innocent face on "I may have aggressively poked my dear brother with a knife" At that Klaus smirked and did his best not to snort at the whole situation and Hayley interjected, "You mean you stabbed him?" "No no...aggressively poked" Caroline repeated again smiling at her. "May I ask why?" Elijah said resigned. "He lost." Caroline said simply while Kai just sulked and glared at her.

Kai put his hand on Caroline shoulder and spoke to her lowly, "Look sis if you want to discuss the merits and possible moral implications of murdering our family then I promise you we can do that later. But right now we need to stay on task and be the ultimate dream team. Murder buddies right?" Caroline just nodded at him and then turned back towards the others in the courtyard who's faces varied from traumatised to amused at the unfolding of events. "We need the ascendant." She said looking directly at Klaus. "Preferably ASAP" Kai finished for her. "Why?" Klaus asked. "It's the last prison world out there since the other two ascendants were destroyed and we need to trap someone there." Caroline replied simply. "Who?" Elijah asked suspicious. "Lily, Julian, maybe a few heretics...and" Kai began then Caroline sighed and rolled up her sleeve to reveal a large unhealing scar "Rayna Cruz" she ended. At the sight of the scar Klaus and Elijah shared an alarmed look between them. Seeing this Caroline quickly intervened "The signal is blocked for now so don't worry she won't be running to New Orleans or anything. But it won't last forever and Kai can't siphon it and since we can't kill her without releasing all the other hell vampires...this is our next best option" at the dejected sound in her voice Hayley rushed over and pulled her into a hug, "Don't worry Caro we're gonna help you. Right guys?" Hayley said giving them both a pointed look. "Absolutely." Elijah answered easily. Klaus nodded immediately but then cast an enraged look in her direction "How exactly did this happen?" He ground out but before Caroline could answer Kai stepped in "Protecting Damon of all people. I mean honestly you could've at least been Rayna'd for a good reason." Kai said sounding disappointed in her. "I knew I should've killed him" Klaus said simply. "Yeah well I guess I owed him. He was really...there...after my mom died" Caroline said emotionlessly. "Fake Mom" Kai muttered. Caroline turned on him, "So not the point Kai!" Before they could start bickering again Elijah spoke, "How long do you have before Rayna will be able to find you again?" "The witch said we have about a week." Caroline responded. "Well then since it's late I invite you both to stay with us, rest and we will help you search for the ascendant in the morning" Elijah offered kindly. "No no we don't mean to impose" Caroline began before Kai walked over and threw himself down on the couch "Well I definitely want to impose so suck it up sis" Caroline just looked exasperated. "Then it's settled." Klaus finally spoke, smirking at Caroline slightly.

It was at that moment that another girl appeared at the top of the stairs and she looked dressed for clubbing. She looked down to see Kai bloodsoaked lying on the sofa and Klaus staring at Caroline ongingly, Hayley obviously excited to see her and Elijah clearly just being polite Elijah. "So what's all this then?" She said startling the rest of them downstairs "Ah Caroline, Kai this is our older sister Freya" Klaus said simply. "Didn't you say your older sister died from plague or something?" Caroline whispered to Klaus. "Turns out it was all a lie. Only found out recently actually." Klaus said back to her ignoring the shocked expression on Elijah's face at the discovery of what he'd told Caroline about them. Caroline smiled brightly to her, "Caroline Forbes and that's my brother Kai" she said gesturing to him. Freya looked her up and down and then disappeared into her room, emerging with another short dress which she chucked at Caroline "You look like you know how to have fun. Get dressed. You're coming out with me." She said leaving no room for discussion. "Well I guess I know what I'm doing tonight then" Caroline said with a confused look on her face before turning to Klaus as if for guidance. He just shrugged at her and said "Just humour her I guess?" "Ok then" Caroline sighed to herself before following Freya upstairs to go change.


End file.
